A Brazilian man accused of carrying out cosmetic surgery procedures in Miami without a medical license has allegedly disappeared just days before he was due in court, where he faced more than a dozen charges tied to theft, fraud and unlicensed practice of medicine, authorities said.
Joao Batista Cunha De Araujo, 57, who has been referred to by critics as “Dr. Frankenstein,” is charged in Miami-Dade County with 14 counts, 13 of them felonies, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by News Outlet. Investigators arrested him after two anonymous tips prompted a sting operation at his office, where an undercover detective posed as a prospective patient seeking chin liposuction and was allegedly quoted a price for the procedure.
Miami-Dade officials confirmed to News Outlet that Araujo had turned over his passport under a court order and was placed on electronic monitoring while awaiting trial. But before proceedings could begin, authorities say, he was gone.
Araujo’s booking photo from the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. (Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department)
Local officials directed questions about Araujo’s current location to the U.S. Marshals Service and the Brazilian government. Neither could be immediately reached for comment.
Court records state that Araujo’s ankle monitor triggered a “tamper alert” on Saturday, Aug. 1 — only three days before his trial was scheduled to start.
A person who appeared to resemble Araujo was seen in a video shared Wednesday morning to the Instagram story of his wife, Amanda Ungaro, who is also a co-defendant in the case and had previously been deported from the United States. It was not immediately known when or where the footage was recorded. (Amanda Ungaro/Instagram)
Two officers later went to Araujo’s last known address, a high-rise building in Bay Harbor Islands just north of Miami Beach, but they found neither him nor the monitoring device. His house arrest was revoked, and a Miami judge issued a fresh arrest warrant while also authorizing full extradition.
Authorities allege this still image taken from an Instagram video linked to Araujo shows him performing a laser face-lifting process. They used the watch and bracelets pictured on his left wrist to link him to other photos where the surgeon’s face is not shown. (Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office)
Araujo’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told News Outlet he was still looking at discovery in the case and that the trial date likely would have been pushed back.
“My client previously entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, and I was prepared to vigorously challenge the allegations brought by the prosecution,” he said. “For reasons unknown to me, he has chosen to make himself unavailable to continue fighting for his innocence. If he ever reappears, I will continue to fight zealously on his behalf.”
Joao Araujo pictured at a podium in a photograph included in court documents. (Miami-Dade County Clerk)
According to a New York Post report citing four sources close to the case, Araujo is believed to have left the country for his native Brazil — raising questions about how he did so after turning in his passport.
Amanda Ungaro and Paolo Zampolli pictured at an event on May 16, 2019 in New York City. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Paolo Zampolli)
Araujo’s wife and co-defendant Amanda Soares Felizardo Ungaro, 41, posted a video Wednesday that appears to show her husband smiling and sitting across from her at a restaurant table. It was not immediately clear when or where it was taken.
She faced seven charges in connection with the case against her husband and was deported earlier this year. She did not immediately respond to a message from News Outlet.
Araujo had previously asked the court to allow him to return to his home country while awaiting trial — a request Judge Tanya Brinkley denied amid concerns that he would not be able to return to Florida, court documents reveal.
According to a police affidavit, the Florida Department of Health confirmed that neither Araujo or Ungaro had any kind of medical license in the state.
Read the arrest warrant:
CALIFORNIA DOCTOR CONVICTED OF $45M MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME THAT FUNDED LUXURY VACATIONS AND A $12K CROSSBOW
At least one patient suffered injuries from a botched procedure, according to court documents.
A victim identified in court documents as “AJ” told police that she visited Araujo for some lip and jaw filler and was injected with 17 bottles in a single sitting.
Police cars are seen outside the Miami-Dade County courthouse in Miami, Florida on November 8, 2019. (ZAK BENNETT/AFP via Getty Images)
The filler hardened, leaving lumps in her lips, jaw and cheekbone.
She initially paid $15,000, according to the complaint, but the price was reduced to $7,000.
She went on to seek help from a licensed plastic surgeon.
